The Irish standard., 1887-06-04

good citizens of thrifty and industrious
habits. In our generation
four million emigrants who left home
penniless have become possessed of real
estate and personal property to the
amount of e655, 100000 1926, ,OOO, 600, !,
besides having sent home to their
friends since 1851 sum of 1900, 600
($l6O,MO,0OO). This shows an average
accumulation of el4,000,OOO ($7O, O,000,-
00O) yearly, or e7 ($35) per head on the
medium number of exiles since 1887. In
80 years down to 1880 the aggregate
wealth of IL Western (American)
states multiplied 12t times, showing an
increase of e2,654, 100000 ($1S, ,10, ,O00,-
OOO). At least one-fourth Of this
amount or sum equal to the National
debt was the result Of the industry of
Irish settlers. The United States Gov
eminent valued them at e200 ISL ,OOO)
per head, whereas we regarded emf
grants as a nuisance"
Comment on these figures is hardly
necessary. They are the strongest pos
sible Indictment of British rule in Ire
land. The industry and thrift that
these Irish exiles have displayed in
their new homes would have found am
pie scope for their exercise in the ma
tive land of these exiles if it were not
cursed with foreign rule that has done
and is still doing its best to uphold q
system of landlordism that would con-
vert the Garden of Eden itself into a
poverty stricken spot.
The statistics in regard TO the losses
Ireland has sustained during Queen
Victoria's reign, striking as they are of
themselves, become still more striking
when we compare them with facts and
figures that tell the story of England's
progress during the same period. Whilst
Ireland has been slowly bleeding to
death England has been progressing as
she never progressed before. Her popu-
lation has increased immensely and her
wealth has more than kept pace with
this increase. With :his rapid advance
ment of wealth there have been ma
turally associated all the advantages
that are born of progress. The people
of England as whole are better fed,
better clothed, and better housed than
they were when Queen Victoria began
her reign. One of the results of this
Improvement in their mode of living is
a decrease in the death-rate. Mr.. Null
hall points out that the death-rate in
England has decreased from 22.5 in the
l 900 in 1887 to 1913 in the 1000 in 1885.
The reader will better understand the
full significance OF these figures when
we state that this decrease in the death
rate of England means the annual saw
ing of 10000 lives in that country; it
means that three years have been added
to the annual span of life.
Let us now turn to Ireland. We find
that during the fifty years Queen Vic
toria has been on the English throne
that not only has there been no decrease
in the death-rate, but there has been an
increase. Mr.. Mulhall attributes this
increase partly to the sufferings, ex-
posure, and hardship undergone by
many thousandsof people evicted under
circumstances of extreme cruelty y
Never have statistics supplied more
conclusive argument against any Gov
ernment Yet England shows no signs
of being repentant for the crimes she
has committed against Ireland during
the last fifty years. AT this moment she
is preparing to hand over to the land
lords the Coercion scourge that they
may be the better able to wreak their
vengeance on a people whom they hate
with an undying hatred.-lrish World.